CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographs) 


iCiVIH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


Canadian  Instltuta  for  Historical  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiq 


uas 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  technique  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographically  unique,  which  may  alter  any  ol 
the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


D 

D 

D 
D 
D 

n 

D 
D 
D 

D 


Coloured  covers  / 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged  / 
Couverture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pelliculee 

Cover  title  missing  /  Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps  /  Cartes  geographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  / 
Encre  de  couleur  (I.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations  / 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material  / 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 

Only  edition  available  / 
Seule  Litton  disponible 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  Interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serree  peut 
causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsion  le  long  de 
la  marge  intdrieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoratkins  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have 
been  omitted  from  filmkig  / 11  se  peut  que  ceitaines 
pages  blanches  ajouttes  brs  d'une  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  kirsque  cela  «tait 
possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  «« fHm^es. 


L'Institut  a  microfilme  le  meilleur  examplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
ete  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire  qui  sont  peut-etre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modifications  dans  la  meth- 
ode  nomiale  de  filmage  sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 

r     I      Coloured  pages/ Pages  de  couleur 

I     I      Pages  damaged  /  Pages  endommagees 

I     I      Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
' — '      Pages  restaurees  et/ou  pellk:ul6es 

r^      Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
— '      Pages  d^cotorees,  tachetees  ou  piquees 

I     [      Pages  detached/ Pages  d6tachees 

r/T     Showthrough  /  Transparence 

I     I      Quality  of  print  varies  / 

' — '      Quality  inigale  d«*  I'impressran 

I     I      Includes  supplementary  material  / 
—      Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

I  I  Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
' — '  slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image  /  Les  pages 
totalement  ou  partiellement  obscurcies  par  un 
feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure,  etc.,  ont  M  filmees 
k  nouveau  de  fa^on  k  obtenir  la  moilleure 
Image  possible. 

I  I  Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
I — '  discolourations  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the 
best  possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant 
ayant  des  colorations  variables  ou  des  decol- 
orations sont  filmtes  deux  fois  afin  d'obtemr  la 
meilleur  image  possible. 


D 


Addttk>nal  conrwnents  / 
Commentaires  suppMmentaires: 


Thn  ittm  n  f  iNnad  at  th«  raduetion  ratio  chaekad  balow/ 

10X  14X 


1IX 


□ 


12X 


1CX 


20X 


22X 


»x 


KX 


24X 


n 


2SX 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Harriet  Irving  Library 
Univarsity  of  Naw  Brunswick 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  roproduit  grAco  i  la 
ginirosit*  de: 

Harriet  Irving  Library 
Univareity  of  Naw  Brumwick 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  la^t  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  *t*  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soln,  compte  tenu  db  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettetA  de  l'exemplaire  film*,  at  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaircs  originaux  dont  la  couverture  an 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmis  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  eirpreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmte  an  commanfant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  compor**  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illuttiation  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^»>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  io 
cas:  le  symbols  — *•  signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbole  ▼  signifie  "FIN  ". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  ttre 
filmte  A  des  taux  do  rMuction  diff Arents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


12  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICROCOPV   RBOIUTION   TBT  CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  h  ^.  2) 


APPLIED    l(\/HGE      Inc 

'653   Eost   »am  Street 

Rochester.   Ne*  York         14609       USA 

(?16}   482  -0300  -Phone 

(716)    288-  5989  -  Fa« 


an 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  AN 

ATTEMFI  TO  SECURE  A  STANDARD 

COLLEGE  ENTRANCE  OFnON 

IN  BOTANY. 


By 


W.  F.  GVNONG. 


[Reprinted  from  Scienck,  N.  S.,  Vol.  XIII.,  No.  S29,  Pages  611-016, 

April  19,  1901.'] 


{Rrprinlalfrnm  SciENCK,  A'.  S-.  Vol.  XIII.,  No.  3?9, 
Pnge  Cll-HW,  April  19,  1901.] 


SUaOESTIOXS  FOR  A  If  ATTEMPT  TO  SECURE 

A  STAXDAHn  COLLEGE  ENTRANCE 

OPTION  m  nOTAXY.* 

The  rapid  advancement  of  any  science 
depends  not  only  directly  upon  the  re- 
searches of  specialists,  but  also  indirectly 
upon  a  favorable  public  opinion.  Some- 
thing may  be  done  towards  forming  this 
opinion  through  a  wide  dissemination  of  in- 
formation as  to  the  true  aims  of  science,  but 
a  more  efficient  method  consists  in  the 
proper  education  of  the  coming  public,  tvhile 
it  is  still  in  school  and  college.  From  the 
single  point  of  view  of  the  advancement  of 
bis  science,  therefore,  and  apart  altogether 
,  im  the  question  of  his  responsibilities 
towards  general  education,  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  scientific  man  to  contributt  accord- 
ing to  his  ability  towards  ileiaentary 
scientific  education.  Particularly  is  it  the 
duty  of  every  one  of  us  connected  with 
educational  institutions  to  inform  ourselves 
upon  the  present  status  and  problems  of  this 
subject,  and  vigorously  to  set  forth  our  re- 
sultant opinions  upon  all  fitting  occasions. 
It  follows,  farther,  that  the  problems  of 
elementary  scientific  education  are  a  proper 
subject  for  the  conpideration  of  any  scien- 
tific society. 

In  these  days  the  sciences  are  making 
great  advances  in  education,  and  they  are 
approaching,  though  for  the  most  part  they 
are  still  far  below,  the  educational  level  of 

*  Read  before  (he  Society  tor  Plant  Morphology  and 
.'hysiology  at  the  Baltimore  Meeting,  December  28, 
1900. 


2 


the  older  subjects.  Amongst  the  sciences 
botany  holds  at  present  a  less  prominent 
place  man  it  d  3erve8 ;  but,  under  the 
vitalizing  influence  of  the  dynamical  and 
realistic  spirit  so  recently  infuHf  d  into  the 
subject  among  us,  it  is  advancing  to  a 
greater  prominence  for  the  near  future. 
Just  at  present,  in  botany  as  in  many 
ether  subjects,  educational  discussion  hinges 
chiefly  about  the  contact  of  school  and  col- 
lege, that  is,  about  college  entrance  require- 
ments. From  this  discussion  three  distinct 
educational  advances  are  resulting :  First, 
wider  options  in  entrance  subjects  gen- 
erally ;  second,  a  greater  emphasis  upon  the 
sciences  ;  and  thir*!,  a  determined  move- 
ment to  secure  grei.  .  iniformity  in  the  re- 
quirements made  by  different  colleges  in  the 
same  snbject.  With  the  first  of  these  ad- 
vances we  ""e  not  here  concerned  except 
to  express  onr  approval.  In  the  8e(H>nd  we 
have  a  more  direct  interest,  though  it  is  not 
in  discussion  in  the  preeent  paper.  I  take 
it  for  granted  Wt.  are  all  agreed  that  scieuce 
should  form  an  integral  part  of  the  educa- 
tion of  every  indiv'dr^l  from  the  kinder- 
garten to,  into  and  in  the  college,  an.i  thai 
botany  should  hold  among  the  sciences  the 
place  to  which  its  nature  entitles  it.  Apart, 
however,  from  the  abstract  merits  of  thf 
case,  it  is  a  fact  that  some  of  the  leadinp 
colleges  of  the  country  do  now  either  re- 
quire a  science  for  entrance,  or  else  v/ill  ad- 
mit the  sciences  as  options,  sometimes  eveu 
to  the  amount  of  one-third  of  their  total 
entrance  requi.ement.  Some  schools  are 
already  teaching  sciences  well,  and  under 
the  stimulus  of  a  wider  acceptance  of  their 
results  by  th's  colleges,  such  teaching  will 
unquestionably  both  further  improve  and 


3 


widely  spread.  We  cannot  doubt,  therefore, 
that  the  prebent  movement  is  towards  the 
general  acceptance  by  the  colleges  of  the 
sciences,  with  botany  among  them,  as  op- 
tions, if  not  as  a  requirement,  for  entrance. 
If,  in  the  colleges  with  whicli  we  are  con- 
nected, the  sciences,  including  botany,  are 
not  accepted  for  entrance,  it  should  at  least 
not  be  through  default  of  vigorous  cham- 
pionship upon  our  part. 

It  is,  however,  with  the  thi  i  advance 
mentioned  above,  namely,  with  the  effort  to 
secure  uaiformity  in  requi.tJients  in  the 
same  subject,  that  we  are  no'.v  immediately 
concerned.  It  is  well  known  that  tha  varied 
demands  made  by  different  colleges  in  the 
same  subjects  impose  a  most  serious  burden 
upon  thosepreparatory  schools  which  prepare 
students  for  several  colleges,  requiring  mul- 
tiplication of  classes,  division  of  resources, 
waste  of  energy,  and,  worst  of  all,  a  too 
great  subordination  of  true  education  to 
preparation  for  the  passing  of  examinations. 
This  mal -adjustment  of  preparatory  schools 
as  a  whole  to  colleges  as  a  whole  consti- 
tutes one  of  the  most  serious  educational 
problems  of  the  present  time.  So  serious  is 
it  that  not  only  h^a  the  National  Educa- 
tional Association  given  its  best  energies 
for  some  years  past  to  the  endeavor  to  for- 
mulate standard  national  courses,  but 
associations  Oi  colleges  and  preparatory 
schools,  with  "arge  and  influential  member- 
ship, have  been  formed  chiefly  to  grapple 
with  it.  All  these  efforts,  be  it  noted, 
are  not  at  all  toward  a  uniform  total  re- 
quirement^ for  all  colleges,  but  simply  to- 
ward a  uniform  general  mode  of  treatment 
of  each  particular  subject,  and  the  colleges 
are  left  as  free  as  before  to  make  any  desired 


permatationsand  combinations  of  subjects. 
The  most  important  and  -ctical  step  ot 
all  in  this  direction  baa  recently  been 
taken  in  the  formation  of  the  College  Eu- 
trance  Examin^ition  Board  of  the  Middle 
States  and  Maryland,  which  is  to  have 
charge  not  only  of  the  specifications  of  re- 
quirements in  tlie  individual  subjects,  but 
also  of  *'  iniform  administration  of  tho 
requir  ui>?ij  «  through  its  own  examina- 
tions, ps  have  been  taken,  also,  look- 
ing to  the  formation  of  a  similar  board  for 
the  New  England  States.  Requirements 
have  already  been  formulated  by  the  former 
board  in  several  subjects,  but  not  yet  »a 
botany.  Now,  a  question  of  immediate  in- 
terest to  as  is  this,  what  is  to  be  the  re- 
quirement adopted  by  these  boards  in 
botany  ?  One  would  naturally  expect  that 
the  course  outlined  by  the  Botanical  Com- 
mittee of  the  National  Educational  Asso- 
ciation would  be  adopted  ;  but  this  course, 
although  embodying  many  good  features, 
is  not  adapted,  nor  was  it  intended,  for 
immediate  practical  use.  If  the  formula- 
tion of  new  courses  is  left  to  the  advisers  of 
the  board  for  the  Middle  States  and  Mary- 
land, and  to  the  New  England  Board,  and 
to  similar  boards  elsewhere,  it  is  unlikely 
that  uniformity  will  be  secured  ;  for  such 
boards,  like  individual  colleges,  will  not 
only  probably  be  shy  of  accepting  one  an- 
other's requirements  in  toto,  but  also  each 
board  will  be  swayed  by  the  particular  views 
of  the  most  prominent  teacher  consulted. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  course  carefully  and 
comprehensively  formulated  by  some  cen- 
tral and  representative  scientific  association, 
based  upon  the  best  of  the  previous  work 
done  in  this  direction,  and  elaborated  with 


the  cooperation  of  the  leading  teacl.  ph  and 
of  other  botaniciil  orgunizalioiiM  thnjughoiit 
the  country,  will  bI.ii  1  .i  ihan.  '.,(  widi^ 
acceptance,  &ud  perhaps,  too,  is  liktly  to 
1)6  a  better  course  than  a  more  limited  body 
could  develop.  Such  a  cour<?e  must  ob- 
viously be  widely  accepted  in  order  to  he  of 
real  use  ;  but,  once  firmly  established,  it 
will  not  only  permit  schools  to  concentrate 
their  energies  upon  a  single  and  excellent 
method  of  preparation  which  will  allow  any 
student  to  enter  any  coUet^e  and  give  a  good 
education  to  those  who  do  not,  but  also  at 
the  same  time  it  will  constitute  a  sort  of 
standard  of  comparison  and  measure  of 
value,  a  definite  ideal  toward?  which  am- 
bitious schools  may  work,  and  a  stimulus 
to  other  colleges  to  adopt  botany  among 
their  entrance  subjects.  It  is  the  object  of 
this  paper  to  propose  that  this  society  un- 
dertake the  formulation  of  such  a  standard 
or  uniform  entrance  option  in  botany,  and 
take  steps  to  secure  its  adoption. 

It  remains  now  to  note  briefly  what  we 
have  to  build  upon  in  such  a  formulation, 
what  conditions  must  be  taken  account  of, 
and  what  practical  steps  may  best  be  taken. 

The  :dea  of  <*  standard  entrance  option  in 
botany  is  far  from  being  n^w.  It  was  im- 
plied in  thtj  well-knowa  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Secondary  School  Studies  of  the 
National  Educational  Association  (com- 
noaly  known  as  the  Committee  of  Ten). 
The  recommendations  of  the  botanical  sec- 
tion of  that  committee  had  without  doubt 
a  powerful  influence  upon  bo'anical  tep^a- 
ing  in  this  country,  autl  that  they  wer^  not 
more  widelj'  adopted  was  due  parti"  i<  the 
then  transitional  state  of  botauici '.  teach- 
ing, and  partly  to  difierence  of  opinion  as 


6 

to  the  wisdom  of  some  of  its  recommenda- 
tions.    The  discussions  of  the  same  Associ- 
ation led  in  subsequent  years  to  the  expo- 
sition of  the  idea  of  standard  entrance  op- 
tions, and   these    are  set   forth  with   the 
greatest  clearness  in  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee on    college    entrance  requirements 
of  that  Association  published  in  July,  1899. 
Now,  if  the  course  in  botany  recommended 
in  that  report  were  adapted  to  immediate 
use,  and   if  it  had  the  approval   of  the 
majority  of  teachers,  there  would  be  noth- 
ing left  to  be  done  except  to  urge  its  adop- 
tion.    In  fact,  however,  whatever  we  may 
think  of  the  merits  or  demerits  of  the 
course,  we  must  all  agree  that  it  is  im- 
practicable at  present  for  the  great  majority 
of  schools.     That  course,  with  its  great  em- 
phasis upon  ecology,  represents  an  extreme 
reaction   from  the  old   formal  systematic 
studies,  and,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  the 
truth  will  doubtless  ultimately  be  found  to 
lie  between  the  extremes.     I  had  myself 
the  honor  to  be  consulted  in  the  preparation 
of  that  report  and  gave  my  adherence  to  it 
as  to  an  ideal  scheme  to  be  worked  towards 
rather  than  as  one  to  be  brought  into  im- 
mediate   practical    operation.      What     is 
needed  at   present,  however,  is  a  course 
which,  while  setting  a  high  and  stimula- 
ting standard  of  intellectual  work,  can  be 
Drought  practically  and  profitably  into  ope- 
ration in  the  immediate  future. 

It  will  help  us  to  understand  the  situa- 
tion if  we  glance  at  the  status  of  botany  as 
an  entrance  subject  in  a  few  of  the  leading 
colleges.  Those  which  follow  are  selected 
partly  at  random  and  partly  because  their 
announcements  happen  to  be  at  present  ac- 
cessible to  me,  but  doubtless  they  are  fairly 


iK-.. 


representative.      Bryn    Mam-    requires    a 
science,  which  may  be  botany,  from  all  stu- 
dents, but  the  amount  is  small ;  apparently 
no  sciences  are  ace  pted  as  options.     Chicago 
accepts  botany,  a  year's  preparation,  as  a 
free  option,  counting   1   out  of  15  points, 
and    will    accept  4  out  of   15   points   in 
sciences.     Columbia  accepts  sciences  as  op- 
tions  up  to  3  points  out  of  15,  of  which 
botany  may  count  1  point.     Cornell  accepts 
a  science,  which  may  be  botany,  as  an  al- 
ternative for  the  otherwise  required  mathe- 
matics.    Harvard  requires  a  science,  which 
cannot  be  botany,  counting  2  out  of  26 
points  for  entrance  to  the  college,  and  will 
accept  7  or  8  points  of  sciences  as  options  ; 
botany,  however,  is  accepted  to  count  1 
point  out  of  21  for  entrance  to  the  Law- 
rence Scientific  School,  for  which  5  points 
in  the  sciences  out  of  21  will  be  accepted  as 
options.     Johns  Hopkins  requires  a  science, 
which  may  be  botany,  but  the  amount  re- 
quired  is  small.     Leland  Stanford  accepts 
5  points  out  of  15  in  sciences,  of  which 
botany    may    be  one,  counting    1    point. 
Michigan  requires  a  year  of  physics  abso- 
lutely of  all  students,  and  in  addition  ac- 
cepts three  years  of  science,  of  which  botany 
may  occupy  either  a  year  or,  in  combina- 
tion with  zoology,  a  half  year.     Minnesota 
appears  to  accept  5J  points  out  of  15  in 
sciences  as  options,  of  which  botany  may 
count  as  J  or  1  point.     Nebraska  accepts  7 
points  in  sciences  out  of  28  as  options  in 
one  college ;  of  which  botany  may  count  2 
points :  and  requires  3  points  in  the  sci- 
ences, of  which  botany  may  be  1  point  in  the 
other  college,  and  in  the  latter  apparently  7 
points  in  addition  may  be  taken  as  options. 
Smith  will  accept  the  equivalent  of  5  points 


8 

out  of  15  in  the  Hciencea  as  options,  of  which 
botany  may  count  either  as  i  point  for  a 
year  of  preparation  or  as  2  for  two  years 
preparation.  Of  other  colleges,  some  do 
not  awept  any  sciences  at  all,  while  a  few 
others  which  accept  some  of  the  sciences 
do  not  include  botany  among  them.  It 
appears,  also,  as  would  be  expected,  that  the 
liberal  acceptance  of  the  sciences  is  more 
common  in  the  Central  and  Western  than 
in  the  Eastern  States. 

The  limits  of  my  time  will  not  permit 
even  a  summary  of  the  preparation  called 
for  by  the  above-mentioned  colleges,  and  it 
must  snflSce  to  say  that  this  ranges  from 
requirements  little  more  than  nominal  up 
to  some  which  are  satisfactory  in  plan  and 
scope.     One  characteristic  which  most  of 
them  show  is  a  great  liberality  in  the  details 
of  preparation,  amounting  in  some  cases 
practically  to  the  acceptance  of  any  good 
course.     All  this  indicates  a  very  undiffer- 
entiated   condition   of  botanical   teaching 
among  us,  a  fact   which,  along  with  its 
many  drawbacks,  has  at  least  this  advan- 
tage from  our  present  point  of  view,  that 
It  will  be  mucb  easier  to  secure  the  adop- 
tion of  a  standard  course  than  would  be 
the  case  if  the  teaching  were  moredifferen- 
tiate<l.   Although  the  preparation  required 
appears  at  first  sight  to  be  very  different  for 
the  different  colleges,  closer  study  shows 
that  there  are  many  common  features,  and 
these  will  form  the  natural  and  excellent 
foundation  for  the  new  course. 

The  ideal  position  for  botany  in  the 
entrance  curriculum,  indeed  the  position 
towards  which  it  seems  in  the  most  pro- 
gressive institutions  to  be  tending,  is  this  : 
any  college  which  requires  any  number  of 


9 


J 


particular  subjects  should  require  a  science  ; 
every  college  should  accept  as  options 
enough  of  the  Hciences  to  allow  a  student 
thus  to  utilize  four  years  of  thorough  high- 
school  work  in  the  sciences ;  botany  shoald 
be  included  among  these  sciences  ;  the  pre- 
paration should  be  of  such  a  character  that 
it  will  yield  a  traiuing  fully  equal  to  that 
afforded  by  any  other  subject  studied  for 
the  same  length  of  time,  and  will  admit 
the  student  to  second  courses  in  college. 

It  will  be  agreed,  I  think,  that  the  for- 
mulation and  successful  working  of  a 
standard  entrance  option  is  a  matter  of 
much  importance  to  us.  But  no  such 
course  can  be  formulated,  much  less  brought 
into  use,  unless  all  teachers  approach  it  in 
a  friendly  and  cooperative  spirit,  each 
willing  to  yield  some  of  his  own  individual 
views  for  the  sake  of  the  common  good.  It 
must  be  in  the  nature  of  a  compromise, 
though  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  that  it 
shall  represent  a  composite  of  all  existent 
views.  It  must  of  course  be  elastic  enough 
to  allow  full  play  to  individual  methods 
and  the  use  of  any  good  text-books,  and 
must  be  standard  in  its  framework  rather 
than  in  its  details.  It  will  of  course  be 
binding  upon  no  one,  and  must  make  its 
way,  if  at  all,  by  its  merits  ;  and  it  will  be 
liable  to  minor  changes  in  the  future,  based 
upon  trial  and  scientific  advances.  Colleges 
would  naturally  first  adopt  '•^  as  an  alter- 
native to  their  own  systems.  Especially  it 
should  face  squarely  the  issue  of  providing 
a  course  equal  in  training  value  to  the  other 
subjects,  for  by  this  test  botany,  and  the 
other  sciences,  must  be  judged,  and  stand 
or  fall  in  the  educational  system. 

With  full  faith  in  the  possibility  of  pre- 


10 
paring^sueh  a  course.   I  would  ask   the 

1.  Does  a   standard  or  uuiforni  o^l^^e 
entrance  option  in  botany  seeni  desi.able-* 

2.  Does  It  seem  possible  of  -  .ainmont  ? 
If  the  answer  to  these  questions  is  in  the 

aflirmative,  I  would  propose : 

a.  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed 
by  the  president  before  the  dose  of  this 
meeting    with  power  to  open  coramunica- 
tion  in  the  name  of  the  Society  with  col- 
leges, examination  boards  and  individual 
teachers  upon  this  subject,  and  to  take  such 
steps  as  their  judgment  approves  towards 
formulating  and  securing  the  adoption  of 
such  an  entrance  option. 
b.  That  the  committee  make  the  attempt 

ItTfT-  'k  ?"""  °""°°^"y  acceptable, 
but   f  this  be  found  impracticable,  then  i 
shall   be    attempted    only  for  the  region 
covered  by  the  work  of  the  College  En- 
trance Examination  Board  of  the  Middle 
States  and   Maryland,  and  of  the  corre- 
sponding New  England  board  if  formed, 
c-    mat  the  committee  be  authorized  to 
•Iraw  upon  the  secretary-treasurer  for  its 
owes  of  printing,  etc.,  up  to  a  limit  of 

The  Society  voted  to  approve  tins  plan  with  the 

memoers  by  mail  a  preliminary  printed  renort  .Z 
«I.ou;d  be  «„ide,l  by  any  opinio'  8^,  t.«l  i,v  a 
majority  of  the  men  in..^  "'"'ueubya 

MesB...Ganonr   I  :  d^.k''""     "'  T"^'""'^ 

mittee     Ti,»        ,  Atkinson  such  a  com- 

nnw       ^         r    '""'        ''^'^  •"  "'«  committee  is 
now  ready,  and  will  be  sent  to  members  of  the  So 
cety  and  toothers  known  to  be  intere.,ted  1^" 

wmh.nK  10  see  the  report  may  obtain  conies  hv  „„ 

f  r:"irb'^"''"-     ^"''  »PP--onMhe'«nT. 
report  will  be  announced  throuKh  Science 

SMITH  COLLEOE,  NoRTHAMPTOV^'mass'!^''"''"' 


